


「Stalker Unknown || 707 x Reader」

by WordsOfFate



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Anime, Anime x reader, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Love, Mystery, Otome Game, Reader-Insert, Romance, Stalker, Thriller, XReader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 10:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14078568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordsOfFate/pseuds/WordsOfFate
Summary: It started out with a simple message; a message to declare their admiration towards you. The more you ignore the messages the worse they become. Safety isn't a luxury you're guaranteed, not even with your boyfriend, Saeyoung, by your side. Will he manage to save you, or will this unknown stalker finally get the opportunity to go through with his threats?





	1. 「one」

    It was a quaint day for you. While Saeyoung was back at his bunker finishing up some late work under the watchful eye of the very displeased Vanderwood, you stayed back at your apartment to play video games with your childhood best friend, Hye. He was a sweet guy who’s always been there for you, even before you accidentally joined the RFA and fell in love with the mischievous redhead.

      
    Ever since joining RFA, the time you’ve spent with Hye has been quite minimal and you missed his company just as much as he missed yours. He couldn’t understand why you have been so distant lately. You haven’t been able to tell him everything about RFA; only that it was an obscure charity. He was also curious about this new, mysterious boyfriend of yours that you managed to acquire.

      
    The video game you were playing with him was starting to last for a while which took him by surprise. He was always able to beat you within a matter of minutes in the past, but now you were finally putting up quite the past. All the time spent playing video games with Saeyoung and Yoosung was really starting to pay off. Even so, you still weren’t quite as good as Hye.

      
    He let out a sigh of relief when he ultimately managed to beat you and the game ended. He chuckled at your inevitable defeat causing you to release a heavy puff of air, but there was a smile on your face nonetheless. You truly missed his company.

      
    “Damn, [name],” he said with a laugh. “First you suddenly get a boyfriend and now you’re finally decent at video games. Are you sure you’re working for a charity and not some mysterious occult?”

      
    You shoved him playfully with a bright smile on your face. “Oh, shush. This organization, along with the people within it, have really changed me. Knowing that I’m helping to do good in the world is… Lightening.”

      
    “You definitely aren’t the [name] I remember.”

      
    The two of laughed for a few moments before you leaned back until your head was resting on his arm. He looked down at you with a smirk tugging at his lips. You haven’t seen that smirk in so long.

      
    “I’ve missed you,” you whispered before closing your eyes. You always felt content when you were with him. It was a feeling similar to how you felt with Saeyoung but in a different manner. They were both two men in your life that you loved deeply. You couldn’t be any more pleased that the two of them were currently in your life at once.

      
    “I’ve missed you, too,” he replied. “So when am I finally going to meet this mysterious boyfriend of yours? I need to make sure he’s good enough for you.”

      
    You scoffed. “I didn’t realize you were the judge of that.”

      
    He chuckled and nudged your arm. “But really. I want to make sure this guy is good to you. I don’t even know his name!”

      
    “I promise he is. I’ll make him meet you one day and tell you his name - he’s just really secretive.”

      
    “You better. How about we play another game?”

      
    Before you could reply, the sound of the doorbell echoed throughout your small apartment. You narrowed your eyes in confusion, wondering who could possibly be at the door. It certainly wasn’t Saeyoung; Vanderwood would’ve never allowed him to leave with how much work he has piled up. Hye was the only other person besides the RFA members who you kept in contact with and he was already there.

      
    “Do you want me to get it?” Hye asked as he sat up. You moved your head off of his shoulder and motioned for him to lay back on the couch again.

      
    “No, no. I’ll get it.”

          
    You stood up and made your way over to the door. You almost expected to see one of the familiar faces from RFA, but none of them were there. In fact, there was no one outside your door. Your brows furrowed in confusion, but you weren’t going to waste time dwelling on who rang your doorbell.

      
    Before you closed the door, your eyes lowered to the floor where you noticed an item sitting outside the doorway. A smile bloomed on your face when you noticed the bouquet of red roses laying on the ground. You bent over and picked it up to read what was written inside the notecard attached to it.

_  
I will always admire your beauty_

_-S_

 

    “Who is it?” Hye called from over on the couch.

      
    “Someone left me flowers,” you distractedly replied back. You didn’t even notice Hye moved from the couch until he was standing behind you, admiring the flowers you received.

      
    “Those are pretty. Do you know who sent them?”

      
    Your gaze remained attached to the initial below the message and although it wasn’t one he’s used before, you couldn’t help but believe Saeyoung was the one who sent them.

      
    “I think… It was my boyfriend.”

      
    “Mysterious boyfriend stealing my thunder again,” he teased, but you were too enamored with the surprising gift to respond.

      
    You closed the door after bringing the bouquet inside and grabbed your phone. With a few presses of a button, you waited for the ringing of the phone to cease when he finally answered.

      
    Saeyoung was so focussed on his work he almost didn’t notice his phone ringing. A smile made its way to his face when he noticed it was from you. That was certainly a surprise he was pleased about.

      
    “Have you called to save me from this boring work?” was the first thing he asked when he answered the phone. He didn’t even need to look behind him to know about the glare Vanderwood was sending his way.

      
    “ _707_.”

      
    “Calm down, Ms. Vanderwood,” Saeyoung teased. “It’s only [name]. You like her, don’t you?”

      
    “Not as much as I like completed work,” the brown-haired muttered.

      
    “Don’t annoy him, Saeyoung,” you scolded. “I just wanted to call you and thank you for the flowers you sent. I love them.”

      
    “Flowers? Is this your way of hinting to me that you want me to send you flowers?”

      
    You rolled your eyes at his antics, not that he could see you doing so. “Stop messing around, babe. I’m holding the roses right now.”

      
    He sat up in his seat with his brows furrowed in confusion. He couldn’t tell at that point if you were joking or not.

      
    “I didn’t send any roses, [name]. Where are you right now?”

      
    “At my apartment. Just… Never mind. It was probably just a mistake - meant for a different address. Forget I mentioned it.”

      
    “Wait-”

      
    Before he could say any more, you ended the call and warily looked at the roses you held in your grasp. Hye came up from behind you and shot you a worried glance. He knows you better than anyone; he could always tell when something was bothering you.

      
    “Is something wrong?” he asked, placing his hand on your shoulder.

      
    “Y-Yeah,” you stammered, forcing a smile on your lips. “He wasn’t the one who sent them. It was probably just a mistake with the addresses.”

      
    He gingerly took the bouquet from you and looked at the card attached to it. “Maybe the ‘S’ means ‘secret’? As in secret admirer?”

      
    You couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at that theory. “I doubt that.”

          
    “Come on, want to keep playing the game?”

          
    You took him up on the offer but felt uneasy. Not even playing video games with your best friend could make that feeling go away. You couldn’t quite explain why you felt that way; you just knew that there was something dreadfully wrong. Little did you know, that feeling wouldn’t be going away.


	2. 「two」

    A faint ringing sound woke you from your slumber. With bleary eyes still not accustomed to the bright rays of sunlight that peaked through your curtains, you sluggishly patted the surface of your nightstand in a desperate attempt to locate your phone. When you finally grabbed it, you gave it a quick glance to see it was Saeyoung who was calling before answering it.

      
    “It’s too early, Saeyoung,” you whined as you rubbed the sleep from your eyes.

      
    “It’s 10 a.m.,” he replied back with a chuckle. You could faintly hear him munching on some sort of food in the background - no doubt his beloved Honey Buddha chips.

      
    “My point exactly,” you stated, your words muffled by the loud yawn that managed to make its way out of your body. Mornings were never something you particularly enjoyed and Saeyoung knew that all too well which made you curious as to why he decided to disturb you from your precious sleep. “Is something wrong?”

      
    “Nope. Just wanted to call you to tell you that I’m almost done finishing up the last bit of work Mary Vanderwood left me. If you want, I can come over once I’m done.”

      
    Your drowsiness immediately faded away the second you heard that. Due to Saeyoung’s constant busy schedule, you only got to see him once a week while the rest of your communication with him was strictly online. Him finally being able to come see you was a nice surprise that you welcomed immensely.

          
    “I’d love that! I’ll buy the soda and you bring the Honey Buddha chips?”

      
    “You know me so well,” he drawled in that playful tone of his. “I’ll get back to work now. Bye bye!”

      
    And just as quickly as he was there, he was gone. This day was already starting out to be good and all you could do was hope that it would continue to stay that way. You didn’t want any more surprises; just a normal day with the man you loved most.

      
    You quickly slid out of bed and threw on some nearby clothes. There was no need to dress to impress for something such as running to the store. You could afford to be lazy now and dress nicer later on before Saeyoung arrived. After your usual morning routine was over with, you pulled your hair up into a messy bun and left your apartment with your bag in hand.

 

*** * ***

 

    It didn’t take long to arrive at the convenience store. It was a small and quaint little place on the corner of a busy street and it was always your go-to place for items. Despite it lacking in size, it almost always had what you were looking for.

          
    When you walked inside, you gave the clerk a small smile before making a beeline straight towards the shelves that were lined with various different brands of soda, Ph.D. Pepper included. There was no way you could acquire Honey Buddha chips quite like Saeyoung did so he was stuck having to lug a portion of his collection to your apartment if it wasn’t to indulge in them.

      
    You grabbed two of the larger bottles of soda and carried them over to the clerk who gave you a curious look. She seemed as if she was struggling to recognize you even though she didn’t seem all that familiar to you.

          
    “Ah! You’re [name], right?” the clerk inquired as she scanned the soda bottles.

      
    “Yes… Did I do something?” you questioned. The fact that the clerk knew your name wasn’t what surprised you most. After all, it was a store you visited quite often. It was the fact that was so open addressing you that confused you. After all the visits you paid here, never once did a clerk remember your name. You warily placed the money on the counter as she finished bagging the sodas, but they were the last thing on your mind now.

      
    “Oh, no! Nothing like that,” she exclaimed as she pulled out a rose with a notecard attached to the stem. “Actually, when I came out from the back earlier, I found this sitting on the counter along with a piece of paper telling me to deliver this to you if you came into the store.”

      
    You hesitantly took the rose from her and opened up the card to read what was written inside.

 

_Your beauty stands out wherever you go_

_-S_

 

    Dizziness washed over you. How did this person know you would be there? He knows where you live and now he knows where you’re going to be. This once harmless secret admirer was quickly evolving into a dangerous stalker, one that you didn’t even know the identity of.

      
    Dropping the rose onto the counter, you grabbed the bags of soda and rushed out of the store. Your mind didn’t stop racing with thoughts until you found yourself back home. You made sure every lock on the door was in use, paranoia making you believe that just one wouldn’t be enough to keep this unknown person out.

      
    Your body felt like an empty shell as you sat down on the couch, your mind attempting to process everything. Why… Why would someone stalk you? You were a completely ordinary girl who had many acquaintances, yet very few close friends. As far as you knew, you didn’t have any enemies. So why you? That was the one question you couldn’t answer.

      
    Fear overwhelmed your whole body. Even being within the comfort of your own home wasn’t enough to ease your fears. Your hands shook as you grabbed your phone from your bag and dialed the numbers you knew by heart. You didn’t even give him an opportunity to speak. The second Saeyoung answered the phone, you spoke right away, fear evident in your voice.

      
    “I need you here now.”


	3. 「three」

    Saeyoung had never dropped everything he was doing faster in his entire life. You were a strong person. Even when you were scared senseless, you put up a facade of bravery to evade worry from others. It was a trait of yours that he loved and respected.

 

_“I need you here now.”_

 

    Those words rang throughout his head like a record loop. Never before had he ever heard you sound so scared - so helpless. He didn’t know what the hell was going on, but he would stop it. He wouldn’t dare let anything bring harm to you even if the price was himself.

      
    He cut a usual one hour drive in half, reaching your apartment in a mere thirty minutes. His mind felt as if it was a blur as he ran up the all the steps until he reached the floor your apartment was located on. He hastily pulled out the spare key he kept on him at all times and unlocked the door only to find his entrance blocked by the inside locks that were unreachable to him. Not once, throughout all the time he’s known you, had you ever used those locks. He nearly forgot you even had other locks. This did nothing else but add to his worry.

      
    “[name]!” Saeyoung called as he rattled the door in a desperate attempt to get in. “It’s me. Let me in.”

      
    Recognizing his voice instantly, you hastily moved from the couch and undid the locks. The instant they were unbolted, Saeyoung charged into the room. His worry washed away when he saw you standing there before him, safe and sound. You didn’t even get a chance to speak before his hands cupped your cheeks and enveloped you in a kiss. His lips tenderly moved against yours before pulling away. His golden hues stared directly into your tear-filled ones.

      
    “What happened?” he asked softly as he used his thumb to brush away your tears.

      
    “I-I got another message,” you managed to choke out. “At the convenience store. They knew I’d be there. I don’t know how, but they did.”

      
    Saeyoung’s face grew hard. He was never one to let emotions get the best of him; a hacker of his skill level needed to push emotions aside in order to be successful, yet he just couldn’t this time. All he felt was pure hatred towards whoever was the cause of your tears. He pulled his hands away from your face and reached for the doorknob. It didn’t take you long to realize what he was trying to do.

      
    “Where are you going?”

      
    “Back to my computer to track down whoever is doing this to you.”

      
    “No!” you cried as your arms wrapped around his waist. You buried your face into his back and he tensed up, his common sense finally coming back to him. “Please, not yet. I don’t want to be alone right now, Saeyoung.”

      
    Your hands gripped the fabric of his clothing tightly as if you were afraid he’d disappear the moment you slackened your hold. This was a rare side of you that you hardly ever showed, especially not to him, but fear wasn’t something you could so easily bottle up.

      
    He slowly turned towards you and ran his fingers through your [hair length], [hair color] hair before placing a soft kiss on your temple. He wouldn’t give up on finding the person doing this to you, but now wasn’t the time to dive into it. The thing you needed most was comfort.

      
    “Alright,” he whispered.

      
    The rest of the day was spent trying to take your mind off your worries. With a plethora of Honey Buddha chips supplied by Saeyoung and the Ph.D. Pepper bought by you, the two of you spent hours just curled up on the couch together watching various movies. It wasn’t anything overly extravagant, but it was heaven for you. In the process, you managed to forget about this unknown stalker and have an enjoyable day with your boyfriend.

      
    Your head was lying comfortably atop of Saeyoung’s lap and your eyes were struggling to stay open. It wasn’t even that late yet, but you were drained from such a stressful night. Sleep was finally starting to take hold of you when Saeyoung’s phone chimed, indicating a phone call. He took a brief look at his phone and declined the call when he noticed who it was.

      
    “Who is it?” you questioned.

      
    “No one important,” he yawned before running his fingers through your locks of hair. As if on cue, his phone rang once more before he quickly silenced it. You reached over and grabbed the phone from him just as he received a text message.

 

**[9:24 p.m.]**

**From: Mary Vanderwood ❤**

    Don’t ignore me, 707.

    Get back here and finish this work.

 

    “Go,” you urged him, sitting up from your comfortable position on his lap. “He needs you more than I do.”

      
    It was a complete and utter lie, but you needed him to believe it. The last thing you wanted was for him to get in trouble because he was too worried about you. His presence alone had calmed your nerves for the most part. If it was absolutely necessary, you could make it through the night by yourself.

      
    “He can complain all he wants, I’m not leaving you,” he insisted.

      
    “I’ll be fine. I promise if anything happens, I’ll call you immediately.”

      
    He hesitated, looking torn over the circumstance. He didn’t want to leave you in the state you were in but at the same time, he couldn’t afford Vanderwood tracking him down and making you even more upset. He was better off finishing the last bit of work he had left and coming back as soon as he possibly could.

      
    “Where’s the note you got yesterday?” he asked. You stood up and walked over to the kitchen counter where the first note laid. The flowers it was once attached to were buried in the trash. You brought the note back over to Saeyoung and handed it to him. A sudden cold breeze from the open living room window made you shiver and hug yourself.

      
    “Let me close that - you’re going to catch a cold in this weather.”

      
    “No, leave it. It gets too hot in here without it open.”

      
    Nodding, he grabbed the note and stood up. You wanted nothing more than to jump into his arms and make him stay the night with you, but you knew you couldn’t. He was only leaving per your request and you knew it would be better for him to finish his work sooner rather than later. You gave him one last quick kiss as he was about to leave the apartment. It took your last bit of strength not to grab ahold of him and never let go.

      
    “I’ll let you know as soon as I’m done with work and I’ll start looking into this stalker,” he told you as he rubbed comforting circles on your back.

      
    “Just don’t overwork yourself, babe.”

      
    He gave you a forced smile. He and you both knew that overworking himself was exactly what Saeyoung planned to do. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

      
    You felt inevitable loneliness the moment he left. The comfort that only another human being could bring was never something someone appreciated until they lacked it, and that was exactly your situation. Standing there moping about it wasn’t going to do you any good, though. What you needed most was a good night’s rest to allow you to forget about all your troubles for a brief time.

      
    You made your way into your bedroom and changed out of your current clothes and into a fresh pair of pajamas. You were almost completely ready for bed when a faint noise out in the living room startled you.

      
    “Saeyoung?” you called, poking your head of your room. It would be just like him to forget his belongings inside your apartment, but you didn’t recall him bringing many things to begin with. After receiving no reply, you walked out into the living room to discover an item lying on the floor outside of your open window.

      
    Another rose with a notecard.

      
    You froze. Despite your brain screaming at you to call Saeyoung, your body didn’t cooperate. You slowly bent down and discarded the rose, your eyes more focussed on the notecard and what words it would contain. Gulping nervously, you opened it and read the words inside.

 

_“Even if you cannot see me, I’m always watching you.”_

 

    You didn’t even realize you were biting your lip until the metallic taste of blood washed over your taste buds. Trying desperately to contain the overwhelming fear you felt, you slowly ripped up the note in hand and threw it into the garbage along with the rose. It was out of sight and out of mind, and that’s all you needed. Saeyoung didn’t need to know of this most recent note - it would only distract him from his constantly growing pile of work. Ignoring these messages was all you could do.

          
    And maybe, just  _maybe_ , it would all go away if you just kept ignoring it.


	4. 「four」

    Sleep didn’t come easy for you that night. It felt as if your anxiety suffocated you each and every time you tried to close your eyes. Visions of a dark figure watching you from the corner of your room played through your mind and prevented you from falling into the comforting arms of slumber. The paranoia grew so overwhelming to the point where you had to turn on your bedside lamp and sit up in bed, your eyes scanning every inch of your room for another person.

      
    You hugged yourself tightly and attempted to wrack your brain for any possible suspect which turned out to be harder than you expected. You always kept to yourself, for the most part. Being friendly towards other came naturally to you, but you rarely ever turned a small conversation into something more. Even if it was someone you didn’t know, you found that far too difficult to believe. More times than not you felt practically invisible to other people. Could there actually have been someone who paid such a close notice to you that they would be capable of going to this extent of obsession?

      
    You mulled over all these thoughts, each new suspicion you acquired even more jumbled than the last. Retracing back to the suspects you did know, the only names that came to mind were… Saeyoung and Hye. Your chest tightened at just the thought of it. It was a horrible feeling to suspect the people you love most of doing such a horrible thing, but they were the only two people that came to mind.

      
    The more you thought about it, though, the less sense it made. Both lived a considerable distance away from you which was why it was difficult to meet up often. That alone was more than enough for you to cross them off as suspects. As relieved as you were about that, it still brought you right back to square one.

      
    You knew nothing.

      
    An incoming text startled you right out of your thoughts. Letting out a loud yawn, you picked up your phone to see that it was already 7:48 a.m., to your surprise. A sleepless night of just pondering passed by fairly quickly, but you were definitely feeling the effects of it. Opening the text, you read what it said.

 

   **[7:48 a.m.]**

**From: Saeyoung**

    Morning, beautiful~  Hope you’re sleeping well.

    Call me when you wake up.

 

    Smiling at his words, you quickly dialed his number on your phone and called him. The phone barely managed to ring once before Saeyoung had already answered it, surprised by your unusually quick call. You were usually still asleep at this time.

      
    “Can’t sleep?” he inquired. He kept his phone tightly secured between his shoulder and ear to allow him to continue to type furiously away at his keyboard.

      
    “Nope. I’m assuming the same can be said for you,” you said, trying your best to withhold the yawn that was struggling to escape your mouth.

      
    “Well, between having to finish my work under taser point from Vanderwood and hacking into different systems to get a better idea of who this stalker is, I haven’t had much time to sleep.”

      
    He chuckled and you couldn’t help but feel guilty. If it wasn’t for you, he’d be finally getting the sleep he needs. He knew you far too well, though. Saeyoung spoke before you could even open your mouth to apologize.

      
    “Don’t worry about it, babe. Even if you ask, I’m not sleeping until I can guarantee your safety.”

      
    You blushed, realizing just how lucky you were to have a boyfriend as caring and protective as him. Even if it was only short-lasting, he made you momentarily forget just how much danger you truly were in.

      
    “Did you find anything about the stalker?”

      
    He sighed. “If you’re asking if I know who it is, no. But I did manage to hack into the surveillance of the convenient store you went to and did get a visual of the person. Although they successfully managed to keep their face blocked from view at every angle, it’s obvious that the suspect is male.”

      
    “You sound so hot when you talk like a cop,” you cooed. Certainly not the most appropriate time to make such a comment, but it was the only thing you could say to make this whole situation more normal. There weren’t too many girls your age receiving terrifying messages from a mysterious stalker and you wanted to pretend, just for a moment, that everything was normal for you as well.

      
    “I’ll remember to bring the handcuffs next time,” he teased, causing you to giggle. The joking around was short-lived, though. “Now that the stalker is confirmed to be a male, I’ve been freely able to hunt for possible suspects, one of them being that childhood friend of yours-”

      
    “Hye?” you inquired in a soft tone filled with dread.

      
    “Yes. Don’t worry; as much as I want to rule him as the stalker and get this whole thing over with, I looked further into it and the more I searched, the less I seemed to find. No criminal history, no possible motive, nothing.”

      
    He sighed and sat back in his chair, rubbing his temples as he did so. Whoever this person was, he sure did know how to cover up his tracks and make this search a hell of a lot harder for Saeyoung. No matter what, he wasn’t going to give up, even if it killed him in the process.

      
    “So… Does this mean it’s safe for me to head over to his place later? I don’t want to disturb you from your work, but I don’t want to be by myself either.”

      
    “Yeah, it should be fine. Just be careful, babe, okay? Text me every hour and inform me if he shows any signs of suspicious behavior.”

      
    “Yes, yes. I’ll be careful,” you drawled, rolling your eyes at his protectiveness despite your secret love for it.

      
    “I love you, [name].”

      
    “I love you too, Saeyoung.”

 

* * *

 

    You finally managed to get a few hours of sleep after getting off the phone with Saeyoung. It wasn’t many hours, but it was still something. When you woke up, you couldn’t stand to be in your apartment any longer. It was supposed to be your safe place, but all you felt was fear.

      
    At around one in the afternoon, you took the thirty-minute drive to Hye’s apartment. Giving him a warning ahead of time had completely slipped your mind and all you could do was hope he’d be home. You rang the doorbell and waited several seconds to see if he would open the door, your feet subconsciously shifting back and forth in nervousness.

          
    Right before you were about to turn around and head back to your own apartment, he opened the door. A smile appeared on his face the moment he noticed it was you.

      
    “[name]!” he exclaimed. “I wasn’t expecting a visit from you.”

      
    “Hey, Hye. Sorry for coming over so suddenly - I know I should’ve called and everything-”

      
    He chuckled. “No need to apologize. Come on in!”

      
    You felt the burden of anxiety weighing on your shoulders suddenly disappear after stepping inside the apartment. Just being in the presence of another person that you trusted was enough to make you feel so much lighter. You sat down on the couch with him and released a contented sigh.

      
    “So what brings you here? It’s quite a way from your own apartment.”

      
    “Oh, I, uh…” you stammered. You didn’t want to flat out tell him about the stalker issue. It was already bad enough that Saeyoung got involved; you didn’t want Hye getting dragged into it as well. “I got a rodent problem in my apartment. They’re working on fixing it now, but I can’t stay there for a moment. My boyfriend’s working and I didn’t want to bother him, so I was kind of hoping you’d be free to entertain me.”

      
    “Of course,” he chuckled. “You know you’re always welcome here. In fact, if the boyfriend is going to be busy all day, you can spend the night on the couch if you’d like. I don’t want you to have no place to go to.”

      
    “No, it’s fine! I couldn’t ask that of you.” It was true. After showing up to his home out of the blue, you would feel absolutely awful staying overnight at his place. You were already being rude as it is.

      
    “You’re not asking, though. I’m offering,” he chuckled.

      
    “A...Alright then. Thank you.”

      
    “No need to thank me, [name]. Just being a good friend. Just so you know, though, I’ve already made plans to go visit my grandmother at the hospital tomorrow. I’ll be leaving early.”

      
    “That’s fine! I hope she gets better.”

      
    “Yeah, me too,” he sighed. “Depressing topics aside, I just bought some new horror movies. Care to binge them with me?”

      
    You couldn’t help but smile. That offer was perhaps the best thing you’ve heard since this whole situation started. Even if it was just for a few hours, this would be a normal night for you.

      
    “I’d love to.”


	5. 「five」

    Spending the day with Hye made you forget all of your worries. There was nothing to fear in his presence; not any more eerie messages and not even the stalker himself. You still found yourself on edge as if you were expecting something bad to happen at any second, but it would’ve been even more concerning if you managed to relax under these circumstances. There was nothing normal or safe about this situation. At the very least, you were capable of taking your mind off of it for a few hours.

      
    To Hye’s surprise, you passed out fairly early. Usually, whenever the two of you had a horror movie marathon, you both would be up until the very late hours of the night. Instead, sleep stole you away from him at a mere 9 o’clock before you could even finish the movie that was currently playing.

      
    It didn’t take long for him to realize that his partner was no longer conscious. With an over exaggerated sigh followed by a small smile, he grabbed a small blanket and draped it over your body before heading to bed himself. He wished he would’ve been able to talk to you more that day, but he didn’t want to bother waking you. He could easily tell by the dark circles under your eyes that you desperately needed a good night’s sleep.

      
    The next morning, you were woken far earlier than you liked by Hye who was already dressed and ready to leave for his weekly trip to the hospital. Rubbing your tired eyes, you sat up on the couch and checked your phone to see that it was only six in the morning.

      
    “One more minute,” you mumbled before falling back into the couch.

      
    “Oh, no,” Hye chuckled before pulling you back up into a sitting position. “I know you far too well to go along with that. One more minute will turn into one more hour.”

      
    You mumbled something completely incoherent before sitting up again and ripping the covers off your body. You sat there for a moment rubbing your face with the palms of your hands in an attempt to wake yourself up as best you could.

      
    “Thank you again for letting me stay over,” you said, your words muffled by a loud yawn.

      
    “You know you’re always welcome, [name]. Hopefully, this weekend we can finish watching that movie we never finished.” You nodded and finally stood up from the couch, stretching your arms above your head.

 

* * *

 

    The drive back to your apartment woke you up for the most part. By the time you got back home, you were still drowsy, but not nearly tired enough for you to fall asleep easily. Especially not since you were on your own once again.

          
    You did everything you possibly could to try to distract your thoughts from wandering to the stalker. Whether it be watching whatever show was on the television or reading a book, it could only keep your mind occupied for so long. Every small noise made you jump. The wind blowing outside, neighbors walking in the hallway outside your door; all these familiar sounds suddenly seemed more ominous to you.

      
    With each and every noise, your anxiety grew more and more. You locked every single door and window leading to your apartment in fear of the stalker being able to send another message through a window like a few nights prior. Somewhere deep in your mind, you truly believed that you could make him go away just by ignoring him. It was an ignorant thought, but one that you so desperately clung onto for hope.

      
    Hours passed by of just aimlessly watching television. You seemed to have spent more time flicking through all the different channels rather than watching a certain show. As one certain show began to play, you felt your eyes slowly growing heavier and heavier as your laid on the couch. As paranoid as you now were, you wouldn’t fight it if sleep decided to welcome you into its grasp once again.

      
    Just before you felt yourself drifting off to sleep, a loud ping was heard from your laptop, announcing a new email. Sitting back up, you reached over and grabbed the laptop sitting on the coffee table and logged on to view the new email. Only one new email was currently in your inbox and the name of the sender immediately made you wary. Hesitantly, you opened the email to read what was written inside.

 

**From: Unknown Sender**

**Re: Why?**

 

I’ve done nothing but shower you with gifts and compliments, [name]. So why tell Saeyoung about me? Why lock yourself away in your apartment and deny me of being able to see your beauty?

  
    Do you not appreciate everything I’ve done for you? Can you not realize just how much I love you? Or are you just that fucking selfish?

Do you like knowing you have someone fawning over you? Does it make you happy that I’m like a dog following you at your heels? I’ve forgiven you for dating Saeyoung instead of me, but I can’t forgive you if continue to lead me on at every chance you get.

  
    I know you better than you know yourself, [name], which is exactly how I know that you truly do love me deep down. You love me far more than you could ever love Saeyoung. So knowing that you’re only momentarily confused, I will save you. I will save you from your horrible life and I will become your savior.

_  
I will make you mine._


	6. 「six」

Saeyoung sat back and took a swig of his Ph.D. Pepper to Vanderwood’s displeasure. He allowed the annoying redhead to spend the past few hours slacking off from his job in order to help you, but he couldn’t help but feel angered when he noticed his colleague get distracted from doing a task such as that.

 

“Shouldn’t you be helping [name]?” the agent questioned.

 

“Calm down, Madam, I am helping! Even hackers as amazing as myself need a quick caffeine break,” Saeyoung replied, finishing the last bit of soda he had left before chucking the empty can behind him.

 

“You don’t have a single lead yet!”

 

He groaned. “Don’t remind me. Avoiding the use of technology was a good move on his part. It’s basically impossible to find anything on him.”

 

Before Vanderwood could say anything else, Saeyoung’s phone began ringing. With a quick glance at the screen of the phone, he quickly picked it up after realizing it was you.

 

“Hey, hey, babe,” he greeted in a playful tone. “How are-”

 

“Saeyoung,” you choked out. He immediately sat up at the sound of your distressed voice. A million thoughts flooded his mind at once and he couldn’t help but curse himself for getting distracted from his task.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“He’s back.”

 

He didn’t need you to elaborate any further. The second he heard those words, he hung up the phone and sprang up from his chair before rushing over to the door. Vanderwood was shocked to see such a sudden change in Saeyoung. After all the time he’s worked with the young redhead, he’s never once seen him so serious.

 

“Where are you going?” Vanderwood questioned. No response. Saeyoung blatantly ignored him and continued walking to the door. “Is this about [name]?”

 

Silence once again, but Saeyoung’s body tensed up at just the sound of your name which signaled to Vanderwood that his suspicion was, indeed, correct. The agent stopped Saeyoung just as he was about to head over to one of his many flashy cars.

 

“You’re not driving in the state that you’re in,” he told him. “Give me the keys.”

 

After thirty minutes of speeding and complete silence apart from the occasional direction or two, Vanderwood pulled the car into the parking lot outside of your apartment. Both men ran inside the building, probably scaring every poor soul that crossed their path as they rushed to check on you.

 

He didn’t even bother to knock once he reached your apartment. He threw the door open and ran inside, desperately scanning the room to find you. It didn’t take him long to find you curled up in a ball on the couch with tears streaming down your face. In an instant, he was at your side cradling you in his arms.

 

“I’m right here, I’m right here,” he cooed softly. Your arms instinctively wrapped around his neck and pulled him even closer to you.

 

“What happened?” Saeyoung asked. You opened your mouth to respond, but no words could form. Just more and more sobs wracked your chest every time you attempted to tell him anything. Thankfully, you didn’t have to.

 

“707,” Vanderwood said grimly as he held the letter you had received a few days prior which you neglected to tell your boyfriend about. “I think you should see this.”

 

Silence suffocated the room as Saeyoung read over both the letter and the threatening email you had only just recently received. His hands clenched into fists as he reread the letter over and over again, realizing that it was something you kept hidden from him. You kept your head in your hands in shame, knowing that hiding something as important as that from him wasn’t the right thing to do.

 

“What made you hide this from me, [name]? What made you think keeping this to yourself would be a good idea?” he asked, his voice rising with each word.

 

“I didn’t want to distract you from work,” you mumbled softly, keeping your head down.

 

“Your life matters more than my damn job!” he screamed, throwing his hands up in frustration. You flinched at his tone. Never before did you ever hear him sound this angry.

 

“Calm down, 707. The poor girl is already scared enough as is,” Vanderwood told him.

 

Saeyoung rolled his eyes but obeyed anyway. He leaned down in front of you and clasped your hands in his.

 

“You should be afraid,” he said softly, sounding worried himself. “I could’ve been close to catching him if I knew about that letter the moment you received it. He’s not just some harmless admirer of yours anymore. This is a stalker who’s getting more and more dangerous with each message he sends.”

 

“I’m sorry,” you managed to choke out.

 

He brushed your tears away with his thumb before sighing. “I just hope I can stop him before he sends another message.”


	7. 「seven」

    Saeyoung immediately got to work, not even wasting time to drive back over to his place. He and Vanderwood stayed at your apartment which, under normal circumstances, you would’ve been overjoyed about, but Saeyoung barely even looked at you, let alone spoke to you. It was obvious the gnawing feeling you felt in your stomach was guilt over failing to tell him sooner. All you had wanted to do was to make things easier on him, but now everything was just getting worse and worse…

      
    Over in the kitchen, you poured some Ph.D. Pepper in a cup and set it on the table beside Saeyoung in hopes of him finally speaking to you since starting his work. Instead, he didn’t even bother to glance at the cup. His eyes were focussed on the screen of your laptop while his fingers flew furiously across the keys.

      
    Releasing a deep sigh, you turned and headed back to your room with tears stinging in your eyes. You knew Saeyoung had every right to be angry with you - you just wished he wouldn’t, especially not while all of this was still going on…

      
    A knock on your door jogged you out of your thoughts. You quickly brushed the tears out of your eyes and perked up, expecting it to be Saeyoung who walked through that door. Instead, you felt disappointment flood over you when it was only Vanderwood who peaked his head through the doorway.

      
    “Can I come in?” he asked.

      
    You sniffed and nodded in reply before he entered your room, leaving the door ajar. You pulled your knees close to your chest, giving him room the take a seat on your bed. He hesitantly sat down on the edge and sighed.

      
    “I’ve never seen 707 care about something as much as he cares about you. I hope you know that,” he told you, never breaking eye contact.

      
    “Probably not as much anymore…,” you mumbled, guilt clenching at your insides once again. This whole situation would’ve never been as stressful as it was now for Saeyoung if you had just told him from the beginning instead of withholding it. It was your fault that now he was refusing to eat or sleep.

      
    “What you did was foolish, but I understand you had good intentions in mind.”

      
    “Good intentions that brought nothing but stress and worry.”

      
    He didn’t respond. It was obvious he had no argument against your statement, but Vanderwood knew he needed to say something in an attempt to cheer you up. It was far too awkward for him to be around you and Saeyoung with all the tension between the two of you. Since there was nothing for him to do to help with discovering the identity of the stalker, he might as well try to smooth over the tension if nothing more than for his sake.

      
    “From what I’ve seen, this stalker is dangerous,” Vanderwood told you. “707 is upset because he fears what will happen to you if he can’t catch the stalker in time and when you keep things from him, it only makes his fears intensify. I know you don’t want to stress him out, [name], but how do you think he would feel if you continue to withhold information and something happened to you while he thought you were safe? That would affect him far more than any kind of extra work ever would.”

      
    You lowered your head, tears building in your eyes once again. Vanderwood was right; there was no denying that. Even after concealing information from Saeyoung, you always thought that he’d still manage to stop the stalker no matter what. The possibility of the stalker doing something more than just sending messages never crossed your mind. If any harm came to you under Saeyoung’s protection, he would be heartbroken. You didn’t even want to think about what he would do…

      
    “I’m sorry,” you choked out, trying to stop your tears from flowing out. “I never wanted this situation to get this bad.”

      
    “I don’t think any of us wanted it to.”

      
    You were going to reply back when something cut you off. From out in the living room, Saeyoung’s voice pierced the quiet air.

      
    “Oi, Vanderwood! I think I got something,” he called.

      
    In an instant, both you and Vanderwood were out of your room and hovering near the redhead in an attempt to see what and how much he managed to discover about the stalker.

      
    “I tried tracing the email, but this guy knew how to cover his trail. There was no way to trace who send it and from where,” he explained, still typing away vigorously at his keyboard. “Instead, I went back to the security footage from outside the convenience store and spotted something; the same hooded figure who left the note for you got into a car with a driver. After zooming in on the footage, you can clearly see the driver wearing a certain robe. Look familiar?”

      
    Saeyoung pulled up the image for you to see. You squinted, trying to make out the blurry footage but the longer you viewed it, the clearer it got. Just like he said, the robe did seem awfully familiar to you, you just couldn’t name exactly where it was from. You shot him a curious glance, hoping he would take it as his signal to elaborate further.

      
    “Mint Eye.”

      
    The second those words left his lips, everything clicked. A gasp left your mouth as you tried to piece together everything in your head. As relieving as it was to finally have a probable suspect, it was just as unnerving.

      
    “Do you think… your brother…?” you hesitantly asked.

      
    Saeyoung’s lips were pursed tightly forming a thin line as he mulled over the possibility. “I’m not sure if this is Saeran’s doing, but there’s no doubt Mint Eye is behind it.”

      
    “How do you plan on handling this?” Vanderwood inquired.

      
    Closing the laptop, Saeyoung stood up with a stony look on his face. “I’m going to Mint Eye.”

      
    “I’m going with you!” you told him, determined to be of help to him.

      
    “No, you’re not,” he told you sternly. “You’re staying here with Vanderwood so nothing happens to you.”

      
    “I just want to help!”

      
    Tears of frustration sprung to your eyes at just the mere thought of being nothing more than extra baggage for the two men. After all the trouble you’d been putting them through, you just wanted to be of some help to them.

      
    Saeyoung wrapped his arms around your shaking body and pulled you close, repeatedly hushing you until you seemed to have calmed down. “I’m not bringing you right to the doorstep of the place that seems to want you most. I want you to stay here where you’re safe with Vanderwood and I’ll go.”

      
    “You’re not going by yourself. Take Vanderwood with you; I’ll be fine on my own.”

      
    “I-”

      
    “Instead of wasting time arguing about this, allow me to provide a solution,” Vanderwood suggested, cutting Saeyoung off. “I’ll go with 707 since I know he’ll need the help. Don’t you have any friends you can stay with, [name]?”

      
    “I could always go to Hye’s place.”

      
    Although he was a little out of the way, Hye was still the only person that came to mind and he should be back from visiting his grandmother by then. At the current moment, his apartment was the safest place you could possibly be. Despite this, Saeyoung still seemed torn about it.

      
    “Fine,” he sighed. “Get whatever things you need ready because we’re leaving now.”

 

* * *

 

    Judging by his expression, Hye was clearly concerned when you showed up at his door with two men standing behind you. Besides him, there weren’t too many people you socialized with so this was a great shock to him.

      
    “Is there something I should know about…?” he questioned, making that the first words he said to you after opening the door.

      
    You shot him a curious look before realizing just how odd of a situation this must seem to him.

      
    “Oh! This is the boyfriend,” you explained as you linked your arm with Saeyoung’s. “I’m sorry for the sudden introduction, but something is going on and I was kind of wondering if I could stay here for a few hours.”

      
    Hye chuckled, not surprised at all that it would be you to do this. “Come on in.”

      
    It didn’t take long to explain to him everything that’s been happening. Given the current circumstance, you were surprised with yourself at how easy it was for you to downplay all the threatening notes. It didn’t seem as terrifying to you now that Saeyoung was one step closer to putting an end to it once and for all.

      
    “That’s why you came over last night…,” he mumbled to himself, realization finally hitting him. “Oh, god… So  you want to stay here while they go and find the stalker?”

      
    “Yeah. Your only job is to protect [name],” Saeyoung told him, his usual playful tone missing. His voice sounded cold and harsh; it almost sounded like a stranger’s voice. You couldn’t understand why it was like that.

      
    “I would never let anything happen to her. As for you two, do you have any idea who the stalker could be?”

          
    Saeyoung opened his mouth to reply and judging by the look on his face, you assumed it was going to be in the same cold voice he used before. You quickly cut in before he could get any words out.

      
    “They believe the stalker is apart of a secret organization called Mint Eye,” you told him quickly.

      
    “Wow… That’s honestly terrifying. I hope you stop this guy before anything bad happens.”

      
    That’s what everyone hoped, especially Saeyoung, but you had faith he could do it. You were putting your safety into the hands of these three men and you could only hope that everyone came out unscathed.

      
    “We should leave now,” Vanderwood told Saeyoung who merely nodded in response.

      
    Saeyoung embraced you in his arms and placed a soft kiss on your lips before pulling away and staring into your eyes. Despite how dangerous this would be for him, the only life he feared losing was yours. He would do anything to protect you, no matter what it took.

      
    “Just give me a few hours,” he whispered. “You’ll be safe - I promise.”

      
    You nodded and hugged him tighter. “I trust you.”

      
    You stood beside Hye as Saeyoung and Vanderwood headed toward the exit. You were nervous as you watched them leave, praying that only good would come out of this.

      
    “Good luck finding the cult. Stay in touch!” Hye said just before they left.

      
    After Saeyoung and Vanderwood left the apartment, Saeyoung froze halfway towards the staircase. Vanderwood kept walking a few steps before noticing his partner had fallen behind.

      
    “Well?” asked Vanderwood. “Honestly, 707, this is not the time to be joking-”

      
    “Hold on,” he said hesitantly. “I have another idea in mind.”


	8. 「eight」

     _Silence._

      
    Neither you or Hye spoke for a few minutes after the others left. You didn’t mind the silence - you had nothing to talk about anyway - but he seemed on edge by it. It was obvious he wanted to say something to break the tension.

      
    The television was turned on and broadcasting a random show you didn’t know of. As much as you wanted to, you couldn’t concentrate on it. Your mind was too preoccupied worrying about Saeyoung to pay any mind to such trivial things.

      
    You of all people knew of his capabilities so that wasn’t what worried you most. From everything you knew about Mint Eye, it was far too dangerous for him to be there, even with Vanderwood at his aid. It was true that your presence would only slow them down, but you still desperately wished you could’ve tagged along so you wouldn’t be left in the dark like now.

      
    “So you’ve been receiving messages for a few days now?” Hye asked, snapping you out of your thoughts.

      
    “Yes,” you replied. You desperately hoped he wouldn’t press for details. The last thing you wanted to do now was to recall all of those awful messages.

      
    “And… Why did you wait until now to tell me?”

      
    You sighed. “It was my problem, you know? I didn’t want to drag you into my mess and make you worried.”

          
    His face grew rigid; it wasn’t an expression you had ever seen on him before. He looked almost like a stranger to you.

      
    “But you could tell your boyfriend, huh? Did you trust him more than you trusted me?” he asked bitterly.

      
    “I-” you stopped yourself, struggling to think of what to say. “I didn’t mean any malice by it - I just wanted to protect you!”

      
    He merely laughed. Twisted, maniacal laughter that made a shiver run down your spine. “You want to protect me? I don’t need your protection! Did it ever cross your mind that maybe you need my protection and not your useless boyfriend’s? He’s too stupid to do a damn thing to save you!”

      
    Your fingers gripped at the hem of your shirt and tears welled in your eyes. You slowly started scooting yourself away from him on the couch, fearing of what he could do. A crazed look was present in his eyes; pain and rage being the only emotions he felt. This wasn’t the Hye you knew and loved - no, this was a  _monster._

      
    “Please… Please tell me this is all a joke,” you begged softly, unable to raise your voice any more than a faint whisper. “Just some sick joke meant to scare me; one that we can laugh off later. Please, Hye.”

      
    He stopped laughing at once and his face went soft. He looked like he once did just a few minutes ago; normal and cheerful Hye. The Hye who was funny, kind, and awkward around any girl who wasn’t you. The Hye who, unbeknownst to you, harbored a crush for you for years despite you never catching on.

      
    You sniffed and a smile nearly appeared on your face. Just nearly.

      
    In an instant, his face went dark again. You didn’t even have time to react before you found yourself laying on your back with him on top of you, his hands pinning down your own while his weight forced down your legs. The terrified expression on his face only seemed to have made him smile even wider.

      
 _“I will make you mine.”_

      
    Love can make one the happiest person in the world but at the same time, it can drive them to the brink of insanity. Everyone wants to be noticed and accepted by the one they love most and if they’re not, they’ll do whatever they can think of to get their attention, even if it means going to extreme lengths. Even if it means forcing their love onto someone.

      
    There was no doubt about it anymore. Somehow, Saeyoung made a miscalculation. The real culprit was a lot closer and had a motive that he wasn’t expecting.

      
    It was Hye who was the unknown stalker.


	9. 「nine」

    “P-please, Hye,” you desperately begged. “It’s not too late to stop.”

      
    His lips tilted up in a horrid smirk, obviously amused by your pleas. “Why should I stop? After all, my plan worked; Saeyoung is gone and you’re mine to bring to paradise.”

      
    Realizing that he was far too gone to reason with, you gathered all your strength and attempted to pull away from his hold on your wrists but his grip only tightened further, his nails digging into your flesh. Tears of helplessness and fear stung in your eyes. This wasn’t how you wanted this to end, but what other possibility was there? Saeyoung and Vanderwood were already miles away chasing a ghost in the wind. The stalker won.

      
    In one swift moment, Hye pulled you up from the couch so suddenly that you lost your balance and hit the floor. Your head collided with the wooden floor causing a wave of colors to wash over your vision, but you refused to lose consciousness.

      
    He attempted to reach for you again with the attention of dragging you out of the apartment and to his car. To his surprise, you weren’t going to let him win without putting up a fight. You slapped, scratched, and even tried to bite him as the two of you grappled for control. Even his pure strength was having trouble reigning you under his control with your adrenaline and instincts taking over your body.

      
    It didn’t take him long to realize that bringing you to Mint Eye unharmed would be an impossible task. You weren’t planning on going quietly. Grabbing the nearest heavy object he could find, Hye raised it over his head.

      
    “I’m sorry, [name]. All your pain will be gone when we get there.”

      
    You froze. Every last bit of adrenaline you once had was seemingly all spent. Your mind screamed at you to move away, but your body was frozen in place like a movie on pause. There was no way you could fight him any longer. Realizing that, you did something you should’ve done from the moment he revealed who he truly was:

      
    “Someone help me!” you screamed as you covered your head with your hands and braced for impact. Except, the impact never came.

      
    Before Hye could knock you out, the door to the apartment was suddenly thrown open. Saeyoung and Vanderwood rushed in, the shock of suddenly seeing them both rendered Hye unable to move. His mind didn’t even have enough time to register what was going on until Vanderwood had tackled him to the ground, ensuring he’d stay down with the help of his taser.

      
    Saeyoung was by your side almost immediately, his arms wrapped around you and cradling your shaking form as you desperately tried to wrap your mind around what just went down.

      
    You pressed your face into his chest and sniffled into his shirt. There was no need to cry anymore; the stalker was taken care of. He wouldn’t be able to scare you anymore.

    _  
    You were safe. Hye didn’t take you away. Saeyoung saved you. But how did he know?_

      
    “H-how did you get here so fast?” you inquired, your voice wavering. “I-I thought you were on your way to Mint Eye?”

      
    He slowly ran his hand through your hair, never before as grateful as he was now that you were well. “We were about to leave, but I realized something,” he said with a small chuckle.

      
    “What?”

      
    “I never told him that Mint Eye is a cult, but that’s what he referred to it as. Either it was a lucky guess or a fatal mistake. I decided to wait outside of the apartment for a while to see which one of those were the case.”

      
    You just sat there and gazed up at him, utterly stunned. It was such a small slip up - one that you didn’t notice at all - yet he picked up on it nearly right away. It wasn’t just his abilities that were amazing; he was amazing.

      
    “That boyfriend of yours is something else,” Vanderwood told you after moving away from the unconscious Hye. “He’s the most irritating, yet most intelligent person I’ve ever met.”

      
    “Yeah, I definitely know that,” you said with a smile as you nuzzled your face into Saeyoung’s neck. He managed to save the day once again.

          
    “Here,” Vanderwood called as he threw you your cell phone that was sitting on the table beside him. You caught it and shot him a curious look. “Call the police only after 707 and I both leave.”

      
    “C-can’t you both stay here with me until they arrive?”

      
    Saeyoung placed a soft kiss on your temple and shook his head. “I’m sorry, but we can’t risk having a run in with the cops, especially not with our history with the agency.”

      
    Vanderwood approached you and placed his taser in front of you. “He shouldn’t be waking up for a while, but keep this in case he does. Don’t be afraid to use it if you need to; your own safety is more important.”

      
    “Aww, look at Mary Vanderwood all concerned,” Saeyoung teased, briefly going back to his usual self.

 

* * *

 

    They didn’t waste any more time. Soon, they left the apartment and following their orders, you called the police. It only took a few minutes for them to show up and when they did, Hye was only just starting to wake up. He made another attempt to grab you just as the police entered the apartment, giving you all the evidence you needed to prove you were the victim.

      
    As expected, they questioned you. Questioned why you were in his apartment with a taser and why this whole ordeal started in the first place. It took nearly an hour to continuously explain the story over and over again - with a few twisted truths, of course - until they were content with it.

      
    They didn’t seem too pleased that you failed to notify the police of the messages you’d been receiving. They didn’t even seem pleased by your story of you tasing him when he attacked you, but there were no consequences for your act of self-defense. You were off the hook and Hye would soon be behind bars.

          
    You felt a pang in your chest as you watched the police escort Hye out of the apartment with his hands cuffed behind his back. Ultimately, it was your fault he ended up like this. You didn’t give him the affection that he both wanted and needed.

      
    In the end, you created the very same monster you were so afraid of.


	10. 「ten」

    The police were kind enough to escort you back to your apartment upon realizing that you had no way back home. You drifted off to sleep fairly easily during the car ride back, to your surprise. After everything that happened to you merely hours before, you would’ve assumed sleep would’ve been hard to come by. You didn’t realize until then just how physically and emotionally drained you felt.

      
    Your dream was dark; absolutely nothing in sight. You would’ve thought that you weren’t dreaming at all if it wasn’t for the fact that you were capable of moving around. The further you walked, the more the dark scenery seemed to get lighter and lighter. Just when you thought something was finally becoming visible, the police car arrived at your apartment, snapping you awake.

      
    You thanked the officer before heading into the building and towards your designated room. Everything about you felt empty as you walked through the long hallway. You yearned to feel something - anything - but you couldn’t. It was almost as if your emotions were stuck on pause.

      
    When you opened the door to your apartment, you were surprised to see Saeyoung already there, pacing around the room as he waited for you. The second he saw your body standing in the doorway, he rushed over to you. His arms were around you in an instant and his face was buried in your hair. He hardly even noticed how rigid your body was or how dazed your thoughts were.

      
    It was in that moment that whatever dam was holding back your emotions shattered and everything came pouring out. You started bawling into Saeyoung’s neck, making loud sobs that nearly shattered his heart into pieces.

      
    He may have stopped Hye from hurting you, but you weren’t truly unscathed. You would never be able to forget everything you saw that night.

      
    “It’s my fault, isn’t it?” you asked, your words barely comprehensible. “It’s my fault that Hye turned into what he is. I was a horrible friend to him and I was completely blind to his feelings.”

      
    Unshed tears shimmered in Saeyoung’s eyes at just hearing how broken you sounded. He hushed you softly as he swayed you in an attempt of comfort.

      
    “It’s not your fault, [name]. Even if you could go back in time to try to change things, it wouldn’t work. He was a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode. If it wasn’t his feelings for you that detonated him, it would’ve been something else. There’s nothing you could’ve done.”

      
    Pulling your head back, you desperately tried to wipe your tears from your eyes upon seeing the wet splotches you left on his favorite shirt. If he noticed, he didn’t seem to care. He only seemed focussed on you.

      
    “Then… why do I feel so empty inside?”

      
    That was all it took. Only those few words needed to be said to shatter his heart into pieces. He knew that feeling all too well and despite everything he did in an attempt to protect you, he wasn’t able to avoid having you feel that gut-wrenching pain that he suffered through every day.

      
    “That’s because you lost someone you loved dearly…”

      
    You looked up at him in shock at the tone of his voice. Your breath hitched when you realized that this pain you felt now was the same pain Saeyoung had to endure every day since having to leave Saeran. Despite everything he wanted for you, he couldn’t prevent you from suffering through the same pain that he did.

      
    “I’m sorry,” he whispered before placing a kiss on your head. “I’m so sorry you feel this pain.”

      
    Brushing away your tears, you smiled at him. You weren’t about to let the pain consume you. Saeyoung had suffered so much more, yet he still managed to put on a brave face every day. If he could do it, so would you.

      
    “Everything is okay - I’m okay because I still have you by my side,” you told him, placing your hand on his cheek.

      
    Psychological pain was unavoidable in this situation. It would take time, but you’ll eventually manage to push through it with his help. What you needed to do was to forget about the past and focus on the future that lies ahead of you.

      
    In the end, he saved you and that’s all that mattered.


End file.
